1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to firefighter training in general and in particular to the safety equipment used in firefighter training. More particularly, the present invention relates to the breathing apparatus used by firefighters in their training. In even greater particularity, the present invention may be described as a training device replacement for an oxygen breathing apparatus in firefighter training.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Historically the Navy has conducted firefighter training using the standard oxygen breathing apparatus (OBA) manufactured by the Mine Safety Appliance Company. This device is standard equipment on board all naval ships and stations. It is a breathing bag/face mask type device utilizing an expendable canister of chemical reagents to generate oxygen for the user to breathe. The expendable canisters are both costly and potentially caustic. The canisters provide oxygen for up to one hour continuously after activation. Current and projected Navy firefighting training calls for simulated fire engagements of up to twenty minutes duration, during which a supplemental breathing apparatus will be needed. The inventors of the present device have been engaged in developing training devices to replace the standard OBA in the training environment with more cost efficient or safer equipment. In addition to the present invention, this effort has resulted in the training device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,238 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,471,774 which show filtration devices and combination filtration storage devices.